Thembokwezi honours its female patrollers
FOR 54-year-old Bonelwa Mqalo, being a female patroller in Thembokwezi, a notorious part of Khayelitsha, is a challenging and risky yet satisfying task.
Mqalo is one of the more than 30 female patrollers whose work was honoured by the Thembokwezi Crime Watch in a series of social media posts, for continuously braving adverse conditions to ensure the safety of residents in the area. This as Women’s Month draws to a close.
Mqalo said her love for her community and her determination to help reduce criminal activities in the area prompted her to join the neighbourhood watch. She said she felt empowered, because female patrollers were given the same respect and honour that their male counterparts were given by the community.
Another female patroller, Thembisa Msweswe, said they had experienced a “few” threats when they started patrolling, with young men saying female patrollers were “trying to act clever”. However, she said their determination to have safer streets and a safer community pushed them to work harder.
“It’s not easy. That’s why when we go on duty, we inform law enforcement so that we can have the visibility of the police at all times. During the week, it’s relatively quiet, because we ensure that the shops close in time, but on the weekends, that’s when we experience a lot of challenges where we meet drunk people, especially women, people who are fighting, but at all times we manage the process and escort those home that need such.
However, when a task is beyond our control, we ensure that we involve the police,” Msweswe said.
Thembokwezi Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) secretary Phindile George said the female patrollers not only ensured that residents were safe, but brought a sense of caring into the NHW.